


Kix's Investigation

by AwkwardAngelIntrovert



Series: Canon Compliant Star Wars Stories [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (unless Boba's actually dead), Anaxes (Star Wars), Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Coruscant (Star Wars), Gen, Hopeful Ending, Kamino (Star Wars), Mention of drinking, Nausea, Order 66, Past Character Death, Umbara (Star Wars), mention of food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardAngelIntrovert/pseuds/AwkwardAngelIntrovert
Summary: The war is nearing its end. Fives is dead along with so many other brothers, leaving behind the possibility of a conspiracy involving all the clones. Kix needs to discover the truth, pushing past guilt and depression to save what's left of his brothers.
Series: Canon Compliant Star Wars Stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766899
Comments: 21
Kudos: 51





	1. Reflections

Kix didn’t know how long he’d been locked in the refresher. He stared at himself in the mirror, hands gripping the edge of the counter as he leaned over the sink. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. His face was pale. A pounding headache throbbed in his temples.

Fives was gone. Another one of countless troopers gone. No, not troopers. Brothers. Vode. Gone.

Kix wiped the sweat off his forehead with an unstable hand. His grip on the counter tightened, knuckles turning light from the force of it. He glowered at his reflection. “You could have saved him. You could have! Now he’s just another death. A death on _your_ hands.”

Kix clenched his hand into a fist and beat against the mirror. “This is _your_ fault. Tup. Fives. All of them. You failed them. You let them die.”

It had only been one rotation since Fives’ death, or so he thought. Kix hadn’t been keeping track of the time. It was late in the night, or more likely early in the morning, when Rex told him the news. Kix had just come back to the barracks from 79’s when he saw his captain waiting for him. The defeated posture, the frown carved deep into his face, and the furrowed brow had tragedy written all over.

“Kix,” Rex began in a low voice that sent shivers up his spine. “Fives… Fives is…”

“No, _no_.” Kix put a hand to his forehead and stumbled backwards. “ _Please_ , don’t tell me.”

Rex rushed over, steadying him with a hand on his chest.

Kix clutched at Rex’s shoulder. He felt the alcohol running through his veins, buzzing in his brain. Fives had needed his help, and what did he do? Get drunk at 79’s?

“He’s gone, vod. I’m sorry.”

“He can’t–” The last of denial slipped through his grasp as Kix crumpled into Rex.

Rex held Kix in a tight embrace, lest he should fall.

Kix could hear the captain’s shattered breathing. He knew how hard Rex tried to stay strong, how much pain he had to push aside to push forward. He had to for his battalion, his troopers, his brothers, but underneath it all, Kix knew Rex was still trying to process the heartbreaking news of Tup’s death just as he was. Now they had Fives to mourn as well.

“Kix, let’s sit down,” the captain said, calm and demanding.

Kix didn’t try to object. He let Rex lead him to the edge of an open cot. The initial shock of the news subsided, leaving him numb and empty. “How did it happen?”

Kix’s brows knit together as he glared at himself in the mirror.

Fives was dead, shot by one of their own brothers.

Words echoed through Kix’s brain. They were Fives’ words from a campaign he was nearly executed in. _“No clone should have to go out this way.”_

But didn’t he end up going out that way anyways?

Kix felt his chest tighten. He knew he wouldn’t have shot Fives and Jesse that day, but he felt guilty for ever having pointed a blaster in their direction. He hated himself for following orders for so long, orders that he knew were wrong.

_“No clone should have to go out this way.”_

The guilt and shame that weighed down on Kix for what happened on Umbara still overwhelmed him, not just for what could have been the execution of two of his closest friends, but for the battle that should’ve never happened: the battle of brothers against brothers.

Umbara was a brutal campaign from the beginning, but after General Krell arrived, it was unnecessarily so. Kix was forced to watch so many of his brothers get wounded and killed, yet he was told to do nothing, to leave them. He was a kriffing medic! It was his duty to heal his brothers. How many died because he let them? How many died because of his compliance?

He tried to tell himself there was no time, that there was nothing more he could have done, that he was only following orders, but none of that consoled him. They were only excuses.

Maybe Kix should’ve been more like Fives. Maybe he should’ve been more willing to do what _he_ thought was right instead of doing everything he was told. Maybe that way, he could have saved more of his brothers’ lives.

Kix cringed thinking about the troopers he left sprawled on the ground in the wake of an unfair battle and the troopers he shot himself in the trap Krell set for them. He didn’t just let them die; he _murdered_ them. Those weren’t just troopers. Those were brothers. Those were vode who were all unique in their own respect, all valuable life. Yet in a way, they were all still the same. Same heart, same blood, same face. Brothers.

Kix shut his eyes and turned away from the mirror. That was the problem. He couldn’t stand to look at himself anymore. His reflection was a constant reminder of all his failures, all the deaths that were on his hands.

 _“Kix, you should know better. We were designed to withstand any stress.”_ Rex’s words pounded in his head as Kix crumpled to the ground.

Know better?

It was true, clones could withstand an extreme amount of stress. It was what made them competent soldiers, but every clone was different. They all had their breaking points. Kix finally reached his.

Maybe it was a lie that they could endure so much hardship. It was a lie the Kaminoans engrained in their brains since birth, a lie he used to believe until he saw so many wounded soldiers who were desperate just to keep breathing, until he helped Tup through panic attacks after every battle, until he saw Fives’ anxiety barely a rotation ago, until he broke down himself.

Kix wondered what other lies he was programmed to believe.

“Can I ask,” Rex began hesitantly. “Can I ask what happened when you met with Fives, when he asked you to send the coordinates?”

“He told me he was being framed, that he uncovered a conspiracy, a conspiracy that went all the way to the top. He was desperate to contact you and General Skywalker directly, so he gave me the coordinates to give you. That was it.”

It all happened so fast. Kix wished he could relive that moment, to slow down time so he could fully process what happened and what Fives was trying to say.

“And how did he… how did he seem?”

“He was scared. More scared than I’ve ever seen him, but more than that, he was desperate, determined. He believed in what he was saying. He believed he was right and wanted more than anything to _be_ believed.”

“I know. I saw that in him too. I wanted to believe him, I did, but he was so delirious by the end, so ill…” Rex trailed off.

“Did they figure out what it was that made Tup and Fives sick? I was told it was a virus of some kind.”

Rex shook his head. “I don’t think there was a final verdict yet. I’ll be sure to ask General Skywalker tomorrow.”

The captain had kept his word. He’d found Kix earlier to tell him what the chancellor informed the Jedi. It was a parasite that killed their friends.

First it was a virus, now it was a parasite? Sure, maybe what he was told before was a theory, or just a rumor, but it didn’t shake the feeling of doubt that crept in his heart.

It was true something wasn’t right about Fives that night. Kix saw that in their brief meeting at 79’s. He recalled Fives’ ragged breathing and his dilated pupils and–

Kix kicked the refresher counter. Sure, there was a whole galaxy of viruses and parasites. He certainly couldn’t know the effects of each and every one, but he didn’t train as a medic for nothing. He knew the symptoms of countless causes, whether it be an infection, a virus, a parasite, or drugs–

Drugs. That was it.

Kix grabbed his head in his hands, nails digging into his scalp.

A parasite? Like kriffing hell it was a parasite!

A wave of nausea crashed over Kix. He rushed over to the vacc tube. He drew in a trembling breath in an attempt to calm his churning stomach.

Fives didn’t look like he had symptoms of a virus or a parasite or whatever other lie the Kaminoans or the chancellor would spit at him. Fives was drugged.

“What was it that Fives was so desperate to tell you?” Kix asked Rex. “I need to know.”

“Well,” Rex rubbed the back of his head. “He went on about some kind of organic chip in his head: a chip that all clones have. He removed his chip and Tup’s too. He said it could control our minds, make us do whatever someone told us. Even kill the Jedi.”

Kix could feel panic creeping up his spine and through his veins slowly and all at once. “Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“I think he _believed_ he was telling the truth.”

Kix faced Rex, brow furrowed.

Rex returned the look fleetingly before looking down at his feet again with a sigh. “I don’t know, Kix. I want to believe him, I really do. That moment, that conversation… I just know it’s gonna haunt me. There was something that didn’t sit right with me about the whole thing, something that makes me think there is some truth behind Fives’ claims.” He shook his head. “I owe it to Fives to tell someone about what happened tonight. I’m going to file a report about it, but if Fives was right about this, I’m not sure it’ll do more than fall on deaf ears. I guess in the end, it will have to be enough to know that Fives died doing what he did best: fighting for what he believed in.”

That might’ve been enough for Rex, but it wasn’t enough for Kix. Not this time. He wasn’t going to let Fives’ death be in vain.

Kix stood up on shaky legs, making his way back over to the mirror. He took a breath in, bracing himself to face himself.

It happened more than once before, seeing the life and death of his fallen vode written on his own face. With Tup gone, and now Fives, all he could see was them.

“I’m sorry, Fives,” Kix said to the mirror. “I could have saved you. If I wasn’t such a kriffing idiot, I could have saved you. I should’ve helped you. I should’ve stopped you from leaving. I should’ve known you’d been drugged. I should’ve _listened_ to you.”

Kix’s gaze flickered, taking in all the tiny details of his face: his dark eyes, his brown skin, the shape of his jaw, and the creases that formed on his forehead and in the corners of his eyes. He wasn’t just Kix. He was all the clones, all his brothers, all the friends he made, all the friends he lost, all the deaths on his hands, all his failures.

He passed a hand over his elaborately buzzed hair and over the aurebesh tattoo that he was beginning to regret. This wasn’t him anymore. Whoever this was that was staring back at him in the mirror was as dead as Fives and Tup and Hardcase and– well, the list went on for far too long. Kix wasn’t going to let those deaths be for nothing. He had to do something to honor their sacrifices. He had to do something to make up for failing them.

“Maybe I’m too late,” he began. “I didn’t listen to you well enough then, Fives, but I’m listening to you now. I believe you. I’m going to find the truth about this conspiracy, I’m going to expose it, and I’m going to save what’s left of my vode.”

He took one last look in the mirror. That was it. He wasn’t able to bring himself to look at his reflection again. He no longer wanted to be reminded of his fallen comrades who he was unable to save. Instead, Kix would focus only on one thing: those he _could_ save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you don't know, Vod = brother and Vode = brothers in Mando'a.  
> Also, I liked this a lot when I initially wrote it. I don't know if it's just because I spent so much time rereading this during editing that I'm sick of it or if it's just not that great of a piece... Well, there's more of this to come. I think the rest will be more coherent than this.


	2. Discovery on Anaxes

The battle for Anaxes was finally won, and the Republic shipyard was bustling with excitement. Kix pushed his way through the crowd, searching for any sign of Rex, Echo, and Jesse. His heart raced, hoping his brothers were safe and unharmed.

Ahead of him, Kix noticed a ship taking off. He recognized it as the Bad Batch’s ship. His eyes followed it as it flew up and away until he collided full on with something, causing him to stumble backwards.

“Sorry.” He looked up to see who he ran into.

In front of him, shifting his pauldron back into place, was Captain Rex.

“Sir!” Kix rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

Rex threw him a tired smile. “It’s alright, Kix.”

“I see the Bad Batch’s already left.” Kix shook his head. “They certainly are something else.”

Rex lowered his head, pressing the heel of his hand into his eye with a grimace.

“Sir, what’s the matter?” Kix searched the captain for any signs of physical harm, as was his first instinct as a medic. Finding none, save for exhaustion in the bags under his eyes, Kix put a hand on his shoulder. “Rex?”

“Echo’s gone,” Rex blurted out.

Kix froze. “You don’t mean–”

“Gone with the Bad Batch,” Rex finished.

“Oh.” He let relief and loss wash over him before he continued. “Well, sir, I can’t say I’m surprised. Echo’s on a different path now. He’s certainly not a ‘reg’ like the rest of us, as they like to say.”

“No, I know,” the captain nodded. “I know leaving with them is what’s best for him, and I’m proud of him for making that decision. I just wish–”

“Things could be like the old times,” Kix finished.

Rex’s head snapped up to meet his gaze.

“I know, Rex. I think a lot of us older clones feel that way.”

“I guess I’m having mixed feelings about the war again.”

“I know how that is, sir.” Kix shot Rex an empathetic look. They were two of the oldest and most experienced clones in this war by now, having survived, endured, and lost so much.

Rex opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was cut off when Kix’s comlink beeped.

“Sorry, sir,” he said before tapping the comm.

“CT-6116.”

Kix cringed upon hearing his number through the distorted voice in the device.

“Report to the medbay immediately.”

“Right away, sir,” Kix responded. He looked back at Rex. “We can talk another time.”

He nodded. “See you soon, brother.”

***

Night fell on Anaxes before Kix was let off duty, feeling exhausted and frustrated. Luckily, the battle had been won with few casualties, and most who were wounded had nothing life threatening. Still, seeing his brothers in any kind of pain wore heavily on Kix’s conscious, and it only got worse as the war dragged on.

Kix retired back to the barracks that he and Jesse shared. He entered the room, throwing himself on his bed without bothering to take his armor off first.

“Rough day?” Jesse asked, looking up from the blaster he was cleaning.

“Better than most, actually,” Kix admitted, staring up at the ceiling.

Jesse sighed and put his blaster aside. “You hear about Echo?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m gonna miss him. There’s so few of us left, I mean, us who’ve been here since the beginning of the war.”

“Yeah.” Kix felt his chest tighten at the words. Jesse, Rex, Echo– they were all painfully aware of the truth. The old times were long gone.

“You gonna be okay?”

Kix didn’t have to look at Jesse to know his brother’s brows were knit together in concern for him. “Yeah, yeah I’ll be okay.” Kix wasn’t sure if he was lying or not.

“Did you eat anything yet?” Jesse’s asked sternly, but not without sympathy.

Kix shrugged.

Jesse walked over to him and sat at the end of his bed. “Here.” He offered him a supply bar. “You’ve got to eat something.”

Kix sat up with a sigh and took the offer begrudgingly. “Thanks, Jesse.” He felt a twinge of guilt. Recently, it felt like Jesse took care of him more than he took care of himself, and Kix had done nothing to repay his brother. Kix ate the supply bar, knowing that Jesse wouldn’t stand for anything else. He scratched at the stubble on his face absentmindedly as he chewed.

“You could use a shave,” Jesse noted.

Kix rubbed his chin, feeling the prickly hair. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Need me to do it again for you?”

He nodded.

Jesse stood up and placed a hand on Kix’s shoulder. “Alright, I’ll get that set up for you, and take your armor off. You’ve got to relax.”

“Okay.” Kix finished the last bite of his food and started shedding the white and blue plastoid armor until he was only in his blacks.

He entered the refresher where Jesse was waiting. His brother had hung an extra pair of blacks over the mirror so Kix wouldn’t have to see his reflection. Jesse knew the pain Kix felt when he saw himself, but he never told him the way his thoughts drifted to the deaths of all his fallen brothers, deaths for which he blamed himself.

“Kix,” Jesse chided gently as he worked on shaving. “I’m worried about you.”

Kix wanted to look away, but he had no choice but to stay put, lest Jesse accidentally cut him. He bounced his leg anxiously.

When Kix didn’t reply, Jesse spoke again. “You know I hate to see you like this, brother. I want you to be healthy again. I’m trying to help you, but I can only do so much.”

“I didn’t ask for your help! I’m a medic, I can take care of myself!”

Jesse put a hand on his hip and glared at him. “Don’t kriffing give me that sithspit! There’s a reason why _I’m_ the one shaving _your_ doshing face right now. You can’t even look at yourself without feeling sick. I think that’s a problem.”

Kix stayed silent. Of course he knew.

Jesse sighed and continued his work. “I know I can’t make you talk, but you should know that you can, whenever you’re ready. I want to know what’s going on with you, vod.”

When Jesse finished, Kix passed a hand over his now smooth face in relief. “Jesse?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. I mean it. For putting up with me and taking care of me and everything.”

“It’s what brothers do.” Jesse put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

Kix couldn’t help but return the smile.

“Come on, it’s late. Let’s get some rest.”

***

It wasn’t long before Jesse was gently snoring, but Kix stayed wide awake. He lay on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling. His fingers drummed anxiously on his stomach.

Kix had a promise to keep, a promise that he’d been neglecting. Echo’s departure and Jesse’s words lit a fire in his heart once more. He swore he would continue Fives’ legacy to save his brothers. He couldn’t put that off another day.

Kix got out of bed, keeping an eye on Jesse on the other side of the room.

Jesse continued snoring.

Kix sighed in relief and made his way out of the room.

The station was quiet at night. The only noise came from hushed voices of the few troopers who were on duty.

Kix strode to the medbay, hoping if he looked confident enough, anyone who saw him wouldn’t question where he was going. He arrived without a hitch.

In the medbay, a few medical droids flitted about the dimly lit room, checking each of the wounded soldiers in their care.

Kix let them be and went over to the computer mainframe with the intention of looking up any medical files that might pertain to the case on Fives and Tup.

“Medic Kix?”

Kix jumped and spun around to face the voice.

Next to him was one of the medical droids. “What are you doing here? Clone medics are not usually on duty at this time.”

“Yes I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just– I was having trouble getting some rest, so I thought I would come and help you. Is that a problem?”

The droid tilted its head to one side. “No, I suppose not.”

Kix nodded at the droid and walked through the isle of troopers. He checked the vitals on the monitors next to each patient. He was relieved to find they were all still stable. Kix passed an open cot, not thinking anything of it, and went on to the next trooper. Then he paused and backtracked. This bed was occupied earlier. He was sure of it.

Kix called to the droid who spoke to him earlier. “Hey, what happened to CT-6229? He was in my care earlier today.”

“CT-6229?” The medical droid paused. Its gears whirred as it tried to process the information. “Clone trooper 6229 is deceased.”

Kix’s heart lept to his throat. “That… that can’t be right. He was stable when I left. All he had was a concussion–” The words died on his lips. “What did you do with him?”

“What does it matter? I am sure we did everything we could to save him, but he is gone now. There is nothing else to be done.”

Kix suppressed the urge to dismantle the droid right then and there. “Oh, switch off!” He meant it more as an insult than a command. He stormed back to the computer. The blue screen lit up and he began his search, a search for a list of clones who suffered trauma to the head.

The results came up with a long line of troopers all with one red word next to their number: deceased.

Kix scrolled through the list. Dread crept through his veins each second the list dragged on. A majority of these troopers should not have died because of their injuries, so why were they dead?

This trend couldn’t have been going on forever. Kix knew countless troopers who survived from head injuries, many of whom he healed himself. He kept scrolling, trying to find a pattern in the list.

He stopped.

All of these deaths were in the months since Fives and Tup died. Kix searched again, this time for injuries that occurred before his friends’ deaths. The results were a mixture of clones who had died and survived, but it was enough for Kix to realize what was happening. Someone was trying to make sure what happened to Tup would not happen to any other clone.

Kix stumbled backwards. Clones were dying, clones who could have lived to fight another day. They were being killed without any of them knowing.

Kix hunched over the computer again, erasing the search history as quickly as his trembling hands would let him.

“Medic Kix, are you alright?” It was the medical droid.

“Yeah, I’m… I’m fine.” He winced at his quivering voice. “Hey, do you mind if I check your diagnostics?”

“Wha–” The droid’s question was left unfinished as Kix wiped its memory.


	3. Escape from the Barracks

After leaving Anaxes, the 501st was back on Coruscant for a short time on leave. While many of his brothers spent the time at 79’s or at the library, Kix spent his time investigating.

The day was nearing its end when Kix left the medical bay in the barracks to clear his head. Jesse strode down the hall towards him. His brother waved at him and picked up his pace to catch up to him.

“Kix, where have you been? I haven’t seen you at all this rotation.” Jesse slung an arm around his shoulders as he approached.

“I wanted to check up on our medical equipment is all,” he lied, feeling a jab of pain in his chest. Jesse didn’t deserve to be lied to, least of all by him.

Kix had spent the day looking through medical files, trying to find any remaining evidence on what happened to Tup and Fives. He hoped he’d have a better chance of finding more information on Coruscant than on any of their remote bases like Anaxes that didn’t carry complete Republic archives, but he was out of luck. His efforts revealed nothing except classified files and lies. Someone out there was trying to make sure his friends no longer existed, to make sure they left behind no legacy. Kix wouldn’t stand for it.

Jesse’s voice sounded though his thoughts. “Let’s go to the mess.” It was more of a demand than a request, but Kix knew it was all in good intent.

“Alright.”

When they got their trays of food, they sat down at the end of an empty table.

There weren’t assigned seats in the mess hall, but Kix and his fellow brothers always sat in the same places regardless. Maybe it started as something of a comforting constant in the chaos that was their life at war, but now they were surrounded by empty seats that used to be occupied by Fives and Echo and Tup and Dogma and— Now they were all gone. Nothing but empty chairs. Even worse were the chairs that weren’t empty but occupied by a shiny instead of a friend.

“Kix, what’s on your mind?” Jesse brought him out of his thoughts again.

Kix shrugged and kept his eyes on his untouched food.

“You’re thinking about _them_ , aren’t you?” Jesse didn’t have to clarify for Kix to understand.

“I miss them, Jess.”

“I know. I miss ‘em too,” he said in a low voice. “But at least we’ve got each other, yeah?” Jesse gave him a grin that he was obligated to sheepishly return.

For the rest of the meal, Kix tried to stay positive or at least appear so. He laughed along with Jesse, encouraging his brother to smile genuinely even if he couldn’t himself. Yet behind every lighthearted word he spoke hid the fear of what he knew he needed to say.

Kix hadn’t just spent this time on leave looking for files on Fives and Tup, he had also spent it conducting brain scans on himself.

After persuading a rather confused medical droid to help him, Kix started with a simple phase one scan which provided no unusual data, leaving him disappointed but not surprised. If these chips were a secret, of course they had to be well hidden. So, he moved on to a phase two scan. Still nothing. He tried again. Nothing. Again. Nothing.

After a while, the medical droid stopped him, advising him that if he went any further, the scans might cause damage.

Kix begrudgingly agreed with the droid and wiped its memory.

His efforts were fruitless.

Through his exhaustion and frustration, Kix knew he had only one option left: he would have to leave the 501st. The equipment and information available to him here on Coruscant wasn’t sufficient, but he knew a place where it was.

Kix knew he was going to have to tell Jesse the truth eventually. Someone needed to know he had gone, and no one deserved that more than Jesse.

***

The two brothers walked back to their barracks when Kix put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder to stop him.

“Vod, I…” Kix wasn’t sure how to begin.

Jesse searched his conflicted face with brows knit together in concern. “What is it?”

“I need to talk to you.” He looked around and spotted an empty storage room. He nodded to the door. “I don’t want to be overheard.”

Jesse nodded and followed him into the room. “What’s going on?”

“I need your help.” Kix paused again. He found it increasingly difficult to find the right words to say with Jesse looking at him with eyes filled with worry.

“Tell me what you need me to do.”

“I need you to help me leave the GAR.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Kix, what are you saying? You’re not going AWOL are you? I can’t let you do that.”

“No, I mean, maybe,” Kix raked his hands through his hair. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what in the galaxy are you doing?”

“Look, there’s something I need to do, something important.”

“Then tell me what’s going on. I can help! Maybe I can come with you–”

“No, no. You have to stay here. The 501st needs you.”

“They need you too, Kix. _I_ need you! You can’t just leave!”

Kix was silent, eyes flickering as he processed Jesse’s desperate plea. He was tempted to listen to him, to leave this investigation behind, and to stay by Jesse’s side, but he couldn’t. “Jesse, I’m sorry–”

“Echo left. Fives is gone. Tup and Hardcase and Dogma… I don’t want to go on. They’re all gone! You’re all I have left.”

“I know, but that’s why I have to go, vod. I can’t stand to lose any more brothers. Why do you think I grew my hair out? Why do you think I can’t stand to look at myself? It’s because all I see is them: Fives and Tup and Hardcase and all the rest. I failed them and I can’t afford to fail anyone else. I can’t live with myself thinking about that.”

“Kix.” Jesse held him with both his hands on either shoulder. Wrinkles formed in between his brows from care and pain. “Is that really what you think? That their deaths were your fault? That’s not true.”

“It is. People just don’t want me to feel guilty about it. I need to find a way to make sure their deaths weren’t in vain, that my existence isn’t in vain. Now will you help me leave or not?”

“I can’t let you leave unless you tell me what you’re going to do.”

“Look, it’s better if you don’t know. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”

“That’s not good enough! I promise I can handle it. Tell me!”

Kix looked down, trying to figure out how he could convince him. He took a deep breath and looked his brother in the eyes. “Why did you become an ARC trooper?”

Jesse blinked in surprise, but answered. “You know why. To honor Fives.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”

Jesse was still as he searched his brother’s gaze. He nodded. “I understand.”

“So, you’ll help me?”

“What do I need to do?”

“I need you to get me to Kamino.”

***

“Are you sure I can’t come with you?” Jesse asked Kix for the umpteenth time.

Kix shook his head as he packed his things. “I can’t let you. I’m sorry.” He glanced at Jesse and softened at the look on his face. He was breaking his brother’s heart. “This is for the good of you and me and all our brothers. Trust me.”

“I do trust you, Kix, I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t. I promise.” He slipped his helmet on and slung his pack on his back. “So what’s your plan?”

“Come with me.” Jesse beckoned to Kix and they fell in step together. “There’s a Jedi starfighter in the hangar. As far as I can tell, it’s been out of commission for about a month now. No one’s gonna miss it if you take it.”

“That’s good, but what about the hyperdrive ring?”

“It’s still anchored nearby. I’ve got the coordinates for you here.” Jesse handed him a datapad.

“Great. Any ideas on how I can land on Kamino without suspicion?”

“There’s clearance codes for you in the datapad. They’re the same ones General Shaak Ti uses.”

“Brilliant. So they’ll just think I’m her.”

“That’s the idea. Just be careful not to let them see you get out of the ship. You’ll have to get some Kamino armor when you arrive if you plan on staying undetected.”

“I’ll cross that hyperlane when I get there.”

The two entered the hangar.

Jesse took the lead and pointed to the ship Kix would be taking. “There she is.”

Kix paled at the sight. No wonder the ship had been out of commission. It was hardly more than a pile of scrap metal hidden in the shadowed corners of the hangar. He couldn’t help but wonder if the ship had been flown by General Skywalker on its final mission.

“You’re sure that thing can fly?” Kix asked.

“I’m sure. I made some repairs to it myself. The shields might not hold up well, so don’t get into too much trouble, alright?”

“With any luck, I won’t.”

They paused, standing in front of the ship.

Jesse shifted his weight, not knowing what to say.

Kix took a deep breath. “I should get going.”

Jesse nodded.

Kix took a few steps towards the ship and turned around.

Jesse was already walking away.

“Brother, wait!” Kix ran over to Jesse and clasped hands with him.

“Live to fight another day, brother,” Jesse’s voice cracked.

“I will.” Kix let Jesse’s hand go. “I’ll comm you as soon as my mission is over.” He willed himself to walk back to the ship, leaving Jesse to watch him as he lifted off and left the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should mention, on my Instagram, I've made art for each of the chapters! You can check it out [here.](https://www.instagram.com/the_awkward_artist_13/)


	4. Kamino Conspiracies

Kix’s scrappy starfighter came out of hyperspace above the stormy, aquatic planet of Kamino. He disconnected from the hyperdrive ring and began his decent to Tipoca City. As he neared the hangar of the cloning facility, he sent his clearance codes, only letting out the breath he was holding once they were accepted without question.

Despite his shaking hands, Kix landed safely. He powered the ship down, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

This was it: his only shot to uncover this conspiracy.

He opened his eyes and noticed one of the security clones approaching his ship.

“Here goes nothing,” Kix sighed as he picked up his blaster. He opened the ship door.

The clone practically jumped out of his armor when he saw Kix come out of the Jedi starfighter. “Hey, how did you–”

Kix didn’t give him a chance to finish before he stunned him. “Sorry about that, brother.” He dragged the unconscious clone behind the starship and stripped off his blue and white armor in exchange for the clone’s gray armor. Lifting the clone over his shoulder, Kix placed him in the starfighter.

It wouldn’t be long before the clone woke, and as soon as he did, Kix’s mission was as good as over. He opened his pack and took out his medkit. Inside was a sedative which he administered to the clone. Then he produced a pair of binders and cuffed the clone’s wrist to the seat. Even the drugs and the binders wouldn’t hold any clone for long, but he hoped it would buy him enough time to do what he set out to do.

Kix exited the ship and went back to his armor that was left piled on the ground. If he was to remain undetected for as long as possible, Kix knew he would have to dispose of any trace he left, especially his unique armor.

He gathered the pieces in his arms and rushed to the edge of the hangar. Dark waves crashed far below, hypnotic and violent. Kix examined his armor, noting the chipped blue paint, the scattered scratches, and dark blast marks that covered the plastoid. It was a reflection of all he had survived, to the life he had lived.

He dropped the armor and watched as the water embraced it.

Kix marched back across the hangar and entered the facility. He took a breath to steady himself and went over the plan: gather evidence, send a message to Jesse, Rex, and General Skywalker, and get out.

“Hey!”

Kix was ripped from his thoughts when he collided with a medical droid. The small droid let out a mechanical cry of alarm as it whirled in the air. Kix winced. He didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention, but he needed the help of a droid anyway. It might as well be this one. He grabbed the droid by the arm and pulled it into the nearest examination room.

“May I help you?” The droid’s voice was high and monotone, yet somehow still conveyed a note of annoyance. “I am sorry for bumping into you–”

“No, no, that was my fault,” Kix assured him. “Look, I’m gonna need your help.”

“AZI-9775585409 is at your service.”

“How about I just call you AZI-97,” Kix suggested. Those were the only numbers he caught.

AZI-97’s unchanging face somehow managed to look offended at the nickname, but he didn’t protest. “What can I assist you with?”

Well… I don’t exactly know how to tell you this, but I’m going to need you to run some tests on me.”

“Why would you need me to do that?” The droid’s glowing yellow eyes flickered in a faux blink.

“It’s complicated.” Kix rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want you to tell anyone about this. Can you do that?”

“This is all highly irregular. Who do you think you are?”

Kix was desperate to appeal to the droid. “Look, my name’s Kix. I’m a medic for the 501st. I’m investigating a possible biochip in our clones’ brains. It should look something like a tumor in brain scans, but I need you to run a test on me to be sure.”

“A tumor? I have no records of anything like a tumor being found in one of your clones before.”

“I know, but I need you to help me anyway. Will you do it?”

AZI-97 paused. “Before I proceed, I would like to know why you find this necessary.”

Kix sighed. “Look, I know you’re just a droid. I don’t expect you to understand, but I need to do this for my brothers’ sakes. I lost two of my friends recently. Tup and Fives. They found out they had biochips in their heads, and they died, possibly because they knew the truth. I need to find out what they knew.”

“Fives?” The droid’s large head tilted to the side. “As in ARC Trooper 5555?”

“Yes! Did you know him?”

“I did not personally know him, no, but I knew another droid who did. AZI-345211896246498721347. He told me he helped a clone trooper by that name. I have not seen him since then. I would say I miss him, but I am only a droid. I cannot miss him like I am sure you miss your brothers.”

Kix blinked in surprise. The droid’s words were the most genuine sentiment he had ever received from someone who was not a brother or a Jedi, and he wasn’t even a living being. “I do miss them. All the time. I have to do this to honor them.”

“Then I will do this to honor AZI-3452118–”

“I know what you mean,” Kix rolled his eyes but smiled. “Let’s get down to business.”

AZI-97 led Kix to a larger examination room which contained the equipment needed for the brain scan. “The phase one and two scans should be sufficient to find what you are searching for.”

“No, I need you to go straight to the phase five atomic level scan. Can you do that?”

“I can, but are you certain? That scan can be dangerous.”

“It’s worth the risk.”

The droid nodded.

Kix laid on the stretcher, and AZI-97 pushed him forward into the circular machine. The inside glowed bright white as it conducted the scan. Kix closed his eyes and focused on slowing the rapid beating of his heart.

“I’ve found something,” the medical droid chirped as he pulled Kix out of the machine.

Kix bolted upright and pushed past him to stare at the computer screen. Sure enough, on the right side of his head, was what appeared to be a tumor. “Fives was right.” His shaky hand went to his mouth.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” the droid commented. “Is this what you were looking for?”

“Yes,” Kix breathed. “Yes, it is. This is the chip Fives discovered. He had one, Tup had one, and if I have one too, I have to believe more clones have them too, if not all of us.”

“What do we do now?”

“I need you to remove it. We need to find out what this thing really is.”

“Right away,” AZI-97 agreed. The droid laid Kix back on the stretcher and injected him with a sedative. “This will only take a few minutes.”

***

Light flooded Kix’s vision as he blinked awake. Before he could sit up, AZI-97 swooped into his field of vision, his form dark against the burning white lights. He waved a hand at him.

“Hello again, Clone Medic Kix–”

“It’s just Kix, AZI,” he interrupted, sitting up with a wince. His hand reached for his right temple as he became aware of a dull throbbing in his head. “Did the operation go well?”

“As I was about to tell you before your interjection, yes the operation was successful.” The droid held up the dark pink biochip incased in transparisteel.

Kix brushed aside the thought that AZI-97 would’ve been the most sarcastic droid he’d ever met, if it wasn’t for General Skywalker’s snarky astromech and dramatic protocol droid. Instead, he focused on the wave of relief that washed over him at the sight of the removed chip. This was what Fives wanted.

AZI took his silence as an invitation to continue. “My scans indicate that all of your vitals and neurological activity is normal. Do you have any concerns?”

“Well, I don’t have any for myself, but I am worried for my brothers who still have these chips. I think they have a purpose we don’t yet understand. I want to find out what it is.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

Kix mulled the question over. “If this is such a well kept secret, that means at least some of the Kaminoans have to be involved. Nala Se. She’s the chief medical scientist. She played a major part in our creation, so she must know.” He stood up, adrenaline coursing through his veins. “AZI-97, can you get us into her office?”

“I suppose I could, but I do not believe I have the capabilities to access any information there.”

Kix sat back down, excitement fading. “Wait.” He stood up again and dug through his pack, pulling out Jesse’s datapad. He scrolled through the information. “Please, Jesse, tell me it’s on here…” He tapped the screen again. “Yes! You might not be able access the information, but maybe I can.”

“How?”

“Echo.”

“Echo? I do not understand.”

“He’s one of my brothers. He was captured by the Techno Union and… experimented on. He was given technological advancements, and he had access to Separatist codes, algorithms, lots of information. That information is on this datapad. We can use it to access Nala Se’s computer.”

“That is assuming everything surrounding the Kaminoans and this chip is a Separatist plot. I am not sure I can believe that.”

“I know.” Kix slumped back and gently massaged his temples. “If the Kaminoans knew, if they did this to us… I’m worried this chip could mean we were made to destroy the Republic from the start.”

***

“We are quite lucky, you know,” AZI-97 said as they approached Nala Se’s office.

“Why’s that?” Kix asked.

“You came here on the day Nala Se goes to speak with Prime Minister Lama Su. She will not be in her office.”

“I guess that is lucky.”

AZI-97 was through the door before Kix finished speaking.

Kix rushed over to the computer terminal by her desk and plugged in Echo’s software. “AZI,” he waved the droid over. “You’re probably better at this stuff than me.”

The droid pulled up the holographic screen on the desktop and began typing. “Well, it appears your friend’s software is doing its work. He would make quite the slicer. What is it I should search for?”

“First, I need you to bring up the files of Fives and Tup. Search for CT-5555 and CT-5385.”

***

Nala Se was giving a report to Prime Minister Lama Su when a clone marched in.

“What is the meaning of this?” Nala Se scolded the clone.

“Apologies, sir, but a clone broke into your office. His identification code was scanned when he entered. And, well–”

“What is it?” the Kaminoan hissed.

“It’s CT-6116. He’s a medic in the 501st, and by all accounts, he should be on Coruscant.”

“Sir,” another clone entered. “There’s a Jedi Starfighter in the main hangar. CT-876 was found in the ship in binders without his armor.”

“It must be the work of this renegade clone,” Lama Su said.

“You must apprehend CT-6116 at once,” Nala Se commanded.

“Yes, sir.” The clones rushed out.

“What would a clone be doing in your office?” Lama Su asked.

“I have my suspicions,” Nala Se said, bringing up Kix’s file on the holoprojector in the middle of the room. “CT-6116, medic for the 501st. He was one of the last known clones to speak to ARC Trooper 5555.”

Lama Su stood up abruptly. “Then there’s a possibility he discovered–”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“This clone has to be terminated immediately. Lord Tyranus mustn’t find out.”

***

“CT-27-5555,” AZI began. “Discovered the existence of inhibitor chips from CT-5385 and suspected their use against the Jedi. Subject removed chip and was considered dangerous. Under Jedi General Shaak Ti's orders, subject was sent to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine on Coruscant. Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se accompanied the subject to administer a drug to keep inhibitor chip discovery unknown as ordered by Tyranus. CT-5555 attempted to assassinate the Chancellor and was labeled a traitor to the Republic. Subject was terminated by CC-1010 of the Coruscant Guard. Last known contacts: CT-6116 and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker.” The droid moved on to the next file. “CT-5385. Died after unauthorized inhibitor chip removal by ARC Trooper 5555. Inhibitor chip malfunction caused premature activation of Clone Protocol Sixty-Six. Jedi General Tiplar terminated.”

The blood drained from Kix’s face. “So these chips do have a purpose. It activates that protocol. That means we’d be forced to execute it, even against our wills, wouldn’t it?”

“It would seem so. There is no other reason it would be implanted in your brain unlike regular protocols.”

Kix swallowed hard. “What does it do?”

AZI typed on the keyboard. “Clone Protocol Sixty-Six identifies Jedi as traitors to the Republic and are subject to execution by the Grand Army of the Republic.”

“So it’s true,” Kix put a trembling hand to his mouth. “All of us clones, the entire Grand Army of the Republic, is programmed to kill the Jedi?”

“Perhaps it is meant to be used against rogue Jedi, not the whole Order.”

“I don’t know, AZI, we’ve dealt with rogue Jedi before.” Krell, Barriss, and though wrongfully accused, Ahsoka. All of them were considered traitors, but this order was never used. “Besides, if this was kept secret from us clones and our generals, who would enforce the order?”

“I do not know. Who would want all the Jedi dead?”

“The Sith,” answered Kix. “The Sith must be behind this.” Kix felt a lump form in his throat as he drew in a shaky breath. The thought that he and his brothers were in part designed by the dark side terrified him.

“How would the Sith send the message to the army?”

“Because they’re a part of the Republic,” Kix realized. “If the Sith mean to wipe out all the Jedi, they would need to do it in one fell swoop. That means there would have to be someone who could message the entire army in a short amount of time.”

“Who would have the means to do that?”

“The only person would be… the supreme chancellor.” Kix straightened up. “Yes, that would explain it!”

“Explain what?”

“Fives. People said he tried to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine. Maybe he figured out the chancellor was behind this. Maybe he tried to kill Fives since he knew about the chips. Fives wouldn’t have pulled a blaster on him if he didn’t play some part in all this. I know that for certain.” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “The chancellor, a Sith Lord…”

The door flew open and a wave of clones rushed in, all pointing blasters at Kix and AZI-97.

“CT-6116, you are under arrest,” the clone commander announced.

Kix raised his hands. “No, you don’t understand–”

“Hold on a moment, sir,” another clone said. “We’ve just received a change in orders. We’ve been told to terminate the renegade clone.”

The hesitation that followed was all Kix needed to escape. He grabbed AZI’s hand and ducked low. He dove at the commander, knocking him, and the clones behind him, down like dominoes. Kix rolled and landed on his feet. He used the momentum to spring to his feet and sprint down the hallway. He put on his helmet and glanced over his shoulder to make sure the droid was behind him. The twang of blasters firing sounded, followed by blue bolts that flew by alarmingly close to him and AZI.

Kix bit his lip and buried the sorrow that welled in his chest. Those clones, his brothers, didn’t know any better. They thought they were doing what was right. They were only following orders, just like he did for so long.

He pushed forward, zigzagging through hallways to dodge the blaster fire.

AZI-97 hovered by his side. “Where are we going now?”

“To the hangar. We’re getting out of here.”

“We? You mean to take me with you?” the droid sounded surprised.

“Well, yeah. You know the truth about the chips. You can help me present this information to my brothers and General Skywalker. Besides, if you stay here, the Kaminoans will probably dismantle you.”

“Fair point,” the droid dodged a bolt. “I would be honored to come with you.”

“Now,” Kix panted. “How can we get these clones off our tails?”

“We will have to block the hallway. There is a door ahead used in case of flooding.”

“Great. I’ll fry the controls. Can you seal the door?”

“I have the capability to, yes.”

Kix darted for the control panel and smashed the button to close the door. Once it was shut, he switched the mode on his blaster and shot the panel. “How’s it going, AZI?”

The droid was slowly but surely welding the door together. “It appears our plan is working.”

Clones pounded on the other side of the door. “We’ll have to go around. We can’t let him get off planet.”

“Let’s get moving,” Kix said.

After a few turns, they arrived in the hangar.

“The Jedi starfighter.” Kix pointed. “That’s what we’re taking.” He made one final dash towards the ship.

Kix’s legs were swept from under him. A lone blaster fire rang out.

Kix hit the ground face first, causing his helmet to be knocked off. His heart raced like a purrgil in hyperspace. The blast. Where did it hit? He twisted himself around.

AZI-97 hovered in front of him with an orange glowing hole through his left side.

“AZI!” Kix cried.

Sparks flew from the droid’s body, and his repulsorlifts struggled to keep him aloft. “It is alright.”

Kix reached for the droid.

“Don’t move!”

Kix pointed his blaster in the direction of the sound.

A clone stood over him, blaster pointed at his head. His hands shook as his finger hovered over the trigger.

Kix’s gaze flickered from the clone to the blaster he had pointed at him. Images of the carnage on Umbara flashed in his mind: the bodies of clones killed by their own brothers, dying for nothing but a sick deception. Kix dropped his blaster and held out his hand. “Please! Don’t shoot–”

“I have too,” the clone’s voice cracked. “I have to go through with this. I have orders–”

“Orders we both know are wrong.”

“They said you’re dangerous.” The clone shoved his blaster closer to his face.

“No, please, you don’t understand. I’m trying to do what’s right for us clones. I’m trying to save us. You have to trust me.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because we’re brothers,” Kix’s voice came out quiet and broken as he echoed words from the past, “And no clone should have to go out this way. You know that.”

The clone lowered his blaster.

Kix slowly got to his feet. “Thank you.”

“You better not make me regret this.” The clone kept his gaze on his feet.

“I won’t let you down,” Kix promised as he guided AZI-97 into the starfighter. “This is for the Republic and for the good of every one of our brothers.” He entered the ship and left Tipoca City behind.

Once he connected the ship to the hyperdrive ring, Kix punched in coordinates to Coruscant and made the jump to hyperspace. He slumped back in his seat. “We… made… it!” He clutched his chest as he heaved to catch his breath.

“Are you alright?” AZI-97’s eyes flickered sporadically.

“I’ll… I’ll be fine,” Kix gasped. “Are you okay?”

The droid looked down at his limp arm. Wires spilled from his shoulder where the blast hit. “I will manage,” he stated nonchalantly.

Kix nodded. “Good, good.” He focused on his breathing. In. Out. He knew the truth, and soon his brothers would too. In. Out. He could finally save the people he loved. In. Out.

“You look exhausted,” AZI-97 said bluntly.

“I _feel_ exhausted,” Kix replied.

“I am well enough to look over the ship, if you want to rest. There is time before we reach Coruscant.”

“Thanks.” Kix didn’t have to be asked twice. The word barely left his lips before he shut his eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber.

For the first time in his life, his sleep was dreamless.

There were no more nightmares.

The mission was over.

He was free.

***

“Lord Tyranus,” Lama Su addressed the hooded hologram in the center of the darkened room.

“This is an unexpected call, Prime Minister. Why have you summoned me?” Tyranus’ voice overflowed with cool anger.

“There’s been an incident with one of our clones, CT-6116. He was one of the last clones to speak with CT-5555 and was found here on Kamino this rotation on an unauthorized visit. We have reason to believe he knows about the inhibitor chips and Protocol Sixty-Six,” Lama Su reported.

“Then he must be terminated at once. We cannot let this information get to the Jedi.”

“That is the problem, my Lord. The clone escaped. He’s left the planet.”

“What?” Tyranus paused to maintain his composure. “If he plans to get this vital information out, he has no other choice than to return to Coruscant. So be it. Since you failed to apprehend the clone in time, you have left me with one option: I will deal with this rogue trooper myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize the pacing in this is a bit weird, but oh well. Next chapter will be out next Wednesday! If you want to see the art I made for each chapter of this fic, check out my Instagram [here!](https://www.instagram.com/the_awkward_artist_13/) Thank you all for reading!


	5. Crash on Coruscant

“We have dropped out of hyperspace.” AZI-97 woke Kix.

Kix blinked and sat up in his seat. Before them was Coruscant, covered in its familiar geometric patterns of orange city lights. “We made it!” Kix let a joyful laugh escape him. “We made–”

Kix lurched forward as the ship was rocked violently. A booming crash rang through his ears.

“We are being attacked!” AZI-97’s shrill mechanical voice cried out.

“No!” Kix whipped around to see who it was. The blood drained from his face when he saw three starfighters. Republic starfighters. “Why are they attacking us?”

“How should I know?” AZI-97 lamented.

The ships gained on them. Blue bolts spewed from their laser cannons and pummeled Kix’s already damaged fighter.

“Kiff!” Kix swore as he recovered from the impact.

“Our shields are failing!” AZI-97 reported.

Kix shoved the droid aside and took control. He disconnected from the hyperdrive ring and sped towards the planet’s surface. 

The Republic starfighters circled around him, showering blasts from all directions.

Kix swerved to dodge both ships and bolts. “ _Kriff, kriff, KRIFF!”_

“Watch out–” AZI-97’s warning came too late. 

A blast clipped the tail end of the ship, but it was enough to bring the battered fighter down. The thrusters caught fire and they hurtled towards the surface. 

“What are we to do?” AZI-97 wailed helplessly.

Kix smashed buttons and flipped switches, trying to bring some part of the ship back online, to steer something, but he knew it was hopeless. He looked the droid in the eye and smiled defeatedly. “We can only hope the Force is with us.”

***

Kix woke up surrounded by smoke and fire. His vision blurred from the searing pain in his head, making him regret leaving his helmet back on Kamino. He willed himself to crawl out of the wreckage of the ship. Tears welled in his eyes as his aching body screamed at him to stop. He fell to the ground and dragged himself away from the hungry flames. Smoke-filled coughs wracked his body. He gasped in fresh air and stood up on shaky legs. 

“AZI?” he shouted at the crashed fighter. “AZI-97?” Kix turned over charred pieces of metal frantically searching for any sign of the droid. 

He tripped over a pipe and stumbled back, hearing the crunch of glass under his foot. Reluctantly, he lifted his foot, revealing the fragmented pieces of AZI’s eye. A hand shot to his mouth as he stifled a gasp. He stepped back and felt his calf bump into something. Kix turned around.

Before him lay the severed, lifeless head of AZI-97.

Kix fell to his knees and covered his face. Tears rolled down his cheeks and seeped through his fingers. 

The droid was gone.

The whine of ship engines made his head snap up. The three Republic starfighters that attacked him landed nearby.

Kix picked himself up again. He made his hands into fists, ready to make these pilots pay.

The ships opened. Three commando droids leaped out with blasters in hand.

Kix stumbled back in shock. He had no choice but to turn tail and run.

“Blast him!” one of the droids commanded.

“Roger, roger,” the other two droids responded automatically.

Red bolts whizzed past Kix’s ears and over his head. There was no chance of outrunning commando droids in his injured state, and without a weapon, no chance of killing them. He knew there was no way he would survive this, but he was a clone, the wrath of Coruscant. He wasn’t going down without a fight.

Kix dashed through the narrow alleyways of the city, nimbly threading through crowds of assorted beings and droids.

A blast hit his shoulder. The impact made him stumble, but his armor protected him from the potential blaster burn.

“No, you idiot,” Kix heard one of the clankers argue. “Count Dooku ordered us to bring the clone in alive. Set your blasters to stun!”

“Oh, right,” the other droids agreed.

Kix cast a glance behind him to see the three droids flipping the switches on their blasters.

They wanted him alive.

Hope surged through Kix, renewing his energy to keep running. As long as he had breath, he could save his brothers.

The droids were falling behind after their blaster dilema.

Kix turned the corner, not expecting the Mandalorian that came barreling toward him. The two collided and fell backwards.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, you kriffing di’kut!” the Mandalorian growled as he adjusted his dented green helmet.

“Sorry.” Kix pushed himself off the ground. He was a good head taller than the Mandalorian. His height, and the cracks in his high-pitched voice, led Kix to the conclusion that he was in his early teen years.

“Whatever,” the boy shoved Kix and strode past him, only to freeze when the commando droids appeared around the corner, looking both ways for any sign of Kix.

The Mandalorian backtracked, pulling out his twin blaster pistols. “The seppies finally made their way to Coruscant?”

“Well, these three did at least.” Kix couldn’t help but try to conceal himself behind the kid. He was the one who was armed after all.

The droids caught sight of Kix and sprinted towards them.

“Mind lending me a blaster?” Kix asked anxiously.

“Not on your life, _clone_!”

Kix flinched at the venom that dripped from the word. Having no time to argue, he turned to run but bumped into someone else.

“Out of the way!” a gravelly voice yelled as he was shoved into the back of the Mandalorian.

“Oh frag,” the Mandalorian muttered.

On one side of them stood three commando droids. On the other were five Weequay pirates.

“How ‘bout giving me one of those blasters now?” Kix pestered through gritted teeth.

“Fine,” he sighed and pressed the pistol into his hand.

The two stayed back to back and turned in a circle. As soon as Kix was facing the commando droids, a shower of blue circles burst from their blasters. 

Kix fired red blasts back at them. His first wave of shots missed. He wasn’t used to using anything besides the standard DC-15A blaster. This pistol was light and quick.

He leaped to the side to avoid a stun blast and was knocked over when the Mandalorian boy was thrown into him.

Kix spun around and swept the legs out from under the nearest Weequay. He whipped back to face the droids.

The Mandalorian blast the closest droid squarely between its glowing eyes. Whoever this kid was, Kix had to admit he was well trained, or maybe it was one lucky shot.

The next commando droid bolted towards Kix, raising its blaster to strike across his head.

Kix ducked beneath the swing. He tightened his grip on the pistol and shot the droid three times in the torso, and once in the head for extra measure. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder to see how the kid was holding up.

The Mandalorian had already taken down two pirates and was currently engaged with two more. 

The closest pirate swung his blade, aiming for the Mandalorian’s neck. 

In one fluid motion, the kid ducked, landed a kick to the knee of the second pirate behind him, pulled a knife from a pocket on his shin, and stabbed the first pirate in the abdomen.

Yeah, it wasn’t luck. This kid could take care of himself.

The kid turned to face the pirate he had kicked, but was caught off guard from a blow to the head from another Weequay. The Mandalorian’s green helmet was flung from his head.

Kix’s eyes widened. He would recognize that face anywhere. It was his face, or used to be when he was young. That kid was a clone!

Kix was forced to turn his attention to the last commando droid. He shot it cleanly twice in the head and turned to help the young clone.

The kid had recovered his helmet and now grappled with the last pirate.

Kix aimed his pistol and landed a shot on the Weequay’s shoulder.

The pirate stumbled back, and the kid kicked him to the ground. 

The battle was over.

Kix was about to break the silence when they heard sirens in the distance.

The kid sprinted towards Kix, grabbing him by the arm. He pulled him along as they ran into an alley.

They leaned against opposite walls, chests heaving as they caught their breath. 

“You’re… a clone!” Kix gasped out in between breaths. 

“I’m not a clone!” he spat back instantly.

“I saw when your helmet got knocked off. I know one of my brothers when I see them. It’s alright. I won’t report you, heck, I’ve probably been labelled as a deserter myself.”

The kid took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm, revealing his short black hair and flushed cheeks. His identical dark brown eyes glared up at him. “I’m not your brother, and I’m definitely not part of your kriffing Republic army.”

“Then who are you?”

He paused, as if considering whether or not the older clone was worthy of such information. He sighed and answered. “The name’s Boba Fett.”

“I’m Kix.”

Boba rolled his eyes. “That’s great. And I’ll be taking my blaster back now.” He swiped the pistol from Kix’s hand and put it back in its holster.

Kix ignored his sarcasm. “I’ve heard of you. Weren’t you that bounty hunter kid who tried to assassinate Master Windu?”

Boba pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, I was, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring that up. Especially here.” He gestured out the alley where sirens could still be heard.

“Right,” Kix said quietly. “So why were those pirates after you?”

“Long story short, my crew and I had a run in with Hondo’s gang on Florrum.”

“You got the Ohnaka Gang to chase you all the way to Coruscant?” Kix laughed. “Kid, you are something else.”

“I’m not a karking kid anymore,” Boba objected.

Kix restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Boba acted like a shiny showing off how many curses he knew just to look tough. “You mentioned you had a crew. Where are they now?”

“We split up because of the pirates, but we’ll find our way back together eventually.” He paused, as if realizing what he’d said was a bit too sentimental. “Or maybe we won’t. You can’t rely on other people as a bounty hunter. It’s better to go where the profit takes you.”

Kix could tell Boba didn’t truly believe that. He reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sure–”

Boba batted his hand away. “What’s with you anyway? How’d you get commando droids chasing you in the Republic capital?”

Kix rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s… a complicated story. All I can say is I know something they don’t want to get out.” 

The sirens faded into the distance. They were safe.

Boba shrugged. “Well, good luck with whatever you’re doing I guess.” He put his helmet back on and walked away.

“Wait!” Kix caught up to him. “I need your help.”

Boba didn’t bother to look in his direction. “What, helping you with those droids wasn’t enough?”

“I need to send a secure transmission. Something that can’t be intercepted or traced.”

Boba groaned. “I… know a place. Come on.” He waved for Kix to follow.

The two descended down three levels of the city in silence. The lights were bright and colorful in the upper levels, whereas they were dingy and dim in the lower levels. Litter accumulated in the walkways where the crumbling buildings cast thick shadows. 

“Can I ask you something?” Kix broke the silence.

Boba sighed heavily. “Since you’re going to ask anyway, go ahead.”

Against his better judgement, Kix asked, “Why did you try to kill General Windu?”

“He murdered my father. I wanted justice,” Boba answered matter-of-factly. 

“Geonosis is all kind of a blur for me. I don’t know much about what happened there, except for the part I played of course. I always thought Master Windu didn’t have much of a choice when he fought Jango Fett. I heard he–”

“I’m tired of people giving me excuses!” By the note in Boba’s voice, Kix could tell he’d hit a nerve. He stopped and faced Kix, taking his helmet off. “What could justify someone having to watch their father die in front of them as a kid? My dad was all I had, and Mace took that from me. I thought… I thought if I failed killing him, I could at least I could make him regret what he did, but I couldn’t even do that. He doesn’t give two bantha ticks. Not about dad, and definitely not about me.”

Kix stayed silent, trying and failing to find the right words to say. “I’m sorry.”

Boba put his helmet on and kept walking. “I don’t need your pity.”

Kix clenched his fists and followed after him. This kid was a fury of unpredictable emotions. He could tell Boba would fight him no matter what he said. Still, he pressed on. “You know, I know what it’s like to lose family too.”

Boba scoffed. “What would you know about family?”

“All of us clones are a family. Why else would we call each other brother?” Kix answered. “I’ve had to watch so many of them die in this war.”

“You’re soldiers. That’s what you do,” Boba said bluntly. “Besides, if you cared so much about your ‘brothers’ then why’d you leave them?”

“Hey!” Kix grabbed Boba by the shoulder and turned him around. “I left to save my brothers and honor the ones I lost, not to listen to you disrespect them! They deserve better than that.”

“Well so-orry!” Boba shrugged Kix’s hand off. “Doshing hell!”

The pair turned a corner down an alley. 

“We’re here,” said Boba, pointing to an old holobooth on the side of the building. “That’s where you’ll send your transmission.”

“ _That’s_ secure?” Kix asked skeptically. 

“I’ve modified it so it’s unusable to the general public,” Boba explained. “It’ll take a while for me to set up though.” He knelt under the holobooth, placing his helmet on the ground next to him before getting to work.

“Thanks, brother.” Kix sat with his back against the wall.

“Don’t call me that,” Boba protested as he pulled wires out from the machine.

Kix sighed. “Boba Fett, you’re the most infuriating person I’ve ever met, but I think I’ll stand by my statement. You’re still one of us, after all.”

“No, I’m not.”

Kix sat up straighter. “Why are you so insistent on denying it?”

“Because I’m not like you!” Boba jammed a wire back into place. “I… I can’t be like you.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Boba sat up from under the booth. “Because I’m Jango Fett’s son! And if I’m a clone, I can’t be his son. I’ll just be like all the rest of you.”

“And what’s so bad about that?”

Boba scoffed but didn’t respond. He went back to his work.

“Well, I don’t think being a clone means you’re no longer his son. You could be both.” Maybe it was the medic in him that wanted to get through to Boba so badly. He saw someone who was hurt and wanted to heal them.

Boba kept his eyes fixed on his work. He sniffed and wiped a hand under his nose. The conflict raging within him was written on his face in anger, grief, and confusion. 

Kix and Boba might have been the same age, but Kix, being robbed of a childhood, was gifted the maturity and understanding of an adult. Boba was barely a teen, unable to process the pain he had endured alone as a child. Even so, in his youth he had what Kix lacked: time. Time to make mistakes, to learn, to grow, to live. They were two sides of the same credit, and maybe a little part of them envied each other.

“There,” Boba said as he stood up again. “Now you can send your message.”

Neither one of them were prepared when a commando droid dropped from above and bashed Boba’s head into the holobooth controls.

Boba staggered back and crumpled to the ground unconscious.

The droid pointed a blaster at Kix. “Surrender, clone!”

“Never!” Kix wasn’t giving up, not when he was this close. He dodged a stun blast and tumbled next to Boba. He pulled one of the boy’s blasters from its holster and shot the droid down. Kix dropped the blaster and rushed to the holobooth, typing the contact information as fast as his trembling hands would let him.

Three more droids dropped down from the building, surrounding him. Kix knew it was too late for him, but if he could just reach Jesse–

A stun blast struck him. He collapsed with a scream of pain as the shock fried his nervous system.

The droid behind him lifted him up from under the arms. The second droid restrained him with binders. The last droid struck him square in the nose, and Kix could tell by the awful sound it made that it was broken. 

Blood ran down his face, and left his mouth full of its metallic taste. He glared at the droids and spat his ruddied saliva at them. “Kriff you.”

The droid landed another punch to the face and Kix’s vision went black.

***

Kix woke stripped of his armor and hovering above the ground. He gritted his teeth and strained to move his arms and legs. Blue electricity crackled around his wrists and ankles as he was snapped back into place. It was no use. He was stuck in the containment field.

Kix panted and looked around. He was in a Separatist cruiser, judging by the amount of B1 and B2 battle droids that filled the vast room.

The door on the far side of the room opened. A super tactical droid strode in with a commando droid at its side. To Kix’s dismay, they headed straight for him.

“CT-6116, medic for the 501st,” the tactical droid rattled off. “Count Dooku tells us you’ve been investigating dangerous matters. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed.”

“Good to know,” Kix spat back sarcastically.

The commando droid ignited his electrostaff and thrust the electrified end centimeters from his face.

Kix bit his lip, refusing to show any sign of fear.

The tactical droid waved for the commando droid to stand down. “Your efforts to evade capture were valiant, but foolish. It is obvious you have suffered enough injury already. There is no need to cause any more pain if you tell us what you know.”

Kix clenched his fists. It didn’t matter that he already had a concussion and a broken nose and probably dozens of scrapes and bruises. He was a soldier of the Grand Army of the Republic. He refused to break. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“That is unfortunate.” The tactical droid nodded to his companion.

Kix shrieked as the electrostaff struck his chest, sending waves of purple shocks throughout his body.

“Who did you tell about your investigations?” the tactical droid persisted.

Kix glared at the droid, chest heaving. 

The commando droid took his silence as a cue to shock him again. 

Kix shut his eyes. He let the pain fade to the back of his mind and let memories overtake him.

He was on Kamino. The bright, high-pitched laughter of children filled the air. 

“I got to see our older brothers today,” the young CT-5597 told CT-6116. His long dark locks bounced excitedly as he jumped around his brother. “They taught me a new song!”

“ _Another_ song?” CT-6116 wrinkled his nose. 

“I promise you’re gonna like this one.”

CT-6116 crossed his arms. “It better not be something stupid like the one about the tooka cats.”

“No, this one’s much better. They told me Jango Fett taught them it!” CT-5597 insisted.

“Yeah, right! Do you think a super awesome bounty hunter would teach anyone how to _sing_?”

“Well, yeah. They told me even Mandalorian warriors sing it. Can’t I just sing even a little?”

“Okay fine.”

Kix never forgot the first time he heard Jesse sing that song. The song was passed along and known to every clone by heart. As the pain of the electrostaff continued to wrack his body, Kix only thought about Jesse’s little voice echoing in the vast halls of Kamino:

_“Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an._

_Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.”_

“Are you ready to tell us anything, clone?” The droid’s monotone voice cut through his thoughts. “Tell us, and the pain will stop.”

“I’m not telling you clankers anything.”

“So be it.” 

He was shocked again. And again. The voice of Jesse sang above the ringing in his ears:

_“Bal kote, darasuum kote,_

_Jorso'ran kando a tome._

_Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.”_

The rounds of shocks and questions continued, and Kix lost track of time. Hours spiraled into days, and days to a numb eternity. Not once did he give into the pain and the empty threats of harming his brothers.

Then the shocks ceased.

Kix looked up and saw the tactical droid activate a holoprojector in its hand. 

The blue, glitching form of Count Dooku appeared. 

“Have you made any progress in your interrogation?” the Count’s smooth voice drifted through the static.

“The clone has shown remarkable resilience to our attempts,” the droid admitted. “He has yet to reveal any information.”

“Is that so?” he said. “Show me the clone.”

The droid turned and pointed the holoprojector towards Kix. He felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of the Sith.

“So this is the clone who’s caused so much trouble? I must admit, I’m… underwhelmed.”

“Yeah? Well you’re not much to look at either.”

Dooku raised a hand.

Kix felt cold, invisible hands close around his throat. He tried and failed to gasp for breath. Dark spots clouded his vision.

“You’ve done well protecting you so called brothers against my droids, but you cannot keep them safe forever. You will tell me what you know. You will break.” He dropped his hand and released his hold on the clone.

Kix coughed and gasped for breath.

The Count turned to the tactical droid. “Put the clone in stasis and have him delivered directly to me. I want to interrogate him personally. I will not permit any of you to speak to him further.”

“Roger, r–” the droid was cut off when a thunderous crash shook the ship. 

Two B1 battle droids sprinted up to them. “Sir, we’re under attack. Republic gunships have dropped out of hyperspace.”

The Republic was here! Hope surged through Kix. There was a chance he could be rescued. There was a chance his message could be received.

“Get out of there at once,” the Count commanded.

“Roger, roger.” The battle droids nodded and rushed off.

“Sir,” the tactical droid said. “What about the prisoner?”

“Do as I said. Under no circumstance do you let the cargo be apprehended by the Republic.” The transmission ended, and the holo of Dooku vanished.

The tactical droid ordered the commando droid to shut down the containment field. 

Kix fell to the ground, unable to support himself. He didn’t try to resist when the commando droid lifted him off the ground and dragged him away.

“You know what I like about the ‘Vode An?’” little CT-5597 chirped.

“What?” CT-6116 asked.

“It reminds me how all of us brothers are connected. We’re always together, no matter what.”

“Just like we’ll always stick together, right?”

“Right, brother.”

Kix was shoved into the cryo-cycle stasis pod. 

The cruiser still shook violently from Republic fire. Its destruction was imminent.

“It’s gonna be alright, CT-6116,” CT-5597’s voice was distorted through his helmet. “We’ve trained our whole lives for this.”

“Yeah, I know,” CT-6116 nodded. He clutched the handle of the gunship tighter when he saw the sandy land of Geonosis below. “But it never felt real until now.”

“Hey, remember the ‘Vode An’ _._ All of us here are one and the same. We’re strong, we’re brave. We don’t have to be afraid.”

“We stick together.”

“Exactly.”

Tears rolled down Kix’s cheeks. By the light, he hoped he would be rescued before the cruiser was destroyed. He hoped he would see his brothers again. He hoped they would be safe. He hoped.

Soon he would be free. He had to believe that. Soon he would be free and all of his brothers would follow. This war would end, and they would have their victory. This time in stasis would be fleeting.

In one last act of defiance, Kix sang with a cracked, tired, and passionate voice: 

_“Motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

_Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a._

_Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o._

_Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!”_

The burn of freezing cold embraced Kix’s body, and he knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the emotional damage this chapter potentially caused...  
> If you don't know the Vode An, you can learn about it [here.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Vode_An) It will show the lyrics in English as well. Also, look up the song on Youtube if you want to hear it! (Honestly, I don't know much about the song myself, but I've always been fascinated by it, so I hope I incorporated it in a good way.)  
> If you want to see the art I made for each chapter of the story, check out my Instagram [here!](https://www.instagram.com/the_awkward_artist_13/)  
> The last chapter will be out shortly!


	6. The Future

First came the sickness from being stuck in cryo-cycle stasis for longer than any living being should. Then, through the blurred vision, clouded head, and nauseous stomach he awoke to, came the shock:

Kix was too late. _50 years_ too late.

The Separatist cruiser had crashed in a desert on a lonely planet and was left forgotten in the chaos of the dying war. Time moved on without the mercy of moving with them.

Here Kix was, half a century after the Clone Wars ended. He was a soldier with no war left to fight, carried beyond the lifespan of his brothers, if any were given the chance to live a full life.

In this strange and unfamiliar time, Kix decided to join a band of pirates led by Sidon Ithano, or maybe he hadn’t decided but got swept along with them anyway. The events of his awakening and rescue were hazy, not to mention he had been unconscious for most of it. It didn’t matter. The pirates were friendly enough, and he had nowhere else to go.

Kix sat with the crew at yet another grimy bar on yet another nowhere planet. He sipped absentmindedly at the drink in his hand. The chatter and laughter of his new companions crashed in his ears, but he wasn’t listening.

The hair on his neck stood up. He was being watched. Kix whipped his head around, searching the faces of the surrounding patrons: some Rodian, some Weequay, some Ishi Tib, and some other assorted beings he didn’t know the names of. In the midst of them all was an old and rugged human. His eyes locked with Kix when he spotted him.

His heart raced. Without fully understanding why, he felt himself being drawn toward the man.

“Hey, where are you going, Kix?” Quiggold, the Gabdorin first mate asked.

Kix didn’t answer him and continued pushing his way through the crowd until he reached the man. Although his face was scarred and wrinkled, Kix recognized it immediately.

“You’re a clone, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” the man nodded. “Just like you.”

“I thought I was the only one left.”

“So did I.”

“How did you survive this long? Who are you?” The questions spilled out faster than he intended.

“The name’s Boba Fett.” He leaned in closer with narrowed eyes. “The real question is how are you still alive… and young?”

“Boba! It’s me, Kix!” He pointed enthusiastically at himself. “I’ve been frozen in stasis all these years.”

“Dosh!” Boba cursed. “Kix… You were that clone who helped me escape Hondo’s crew on Coruscant back at the end of the war, weren’t you?”

“Yes, and you helped me with the commando droids.”

Boba rubbed the back of his head. “Maybe I’d remember things better if that wasn’t decades ago and those commando droids didn’t bash my head.”

“Yeah,” Kix sat down across from Boba and put his face in his hands. “And to me it feels like it only happened a few months ago.”

“I can’t imagine…” Boba faltered.

“I know,” said Kix. “The worst part of all this is knowing my brothers had to live and die without me. I should’ve been there with them.”

“If there’s anything I remember about you, it’s how much you cared about your brothers. I’m sure none of them would forget that.”

“Did any of them survive the end of the war?” Kix cringed. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“Yes,” Boba answered, and Kix sighed in relief. “But not all of them came out with their free will.”

“The chips in our heads. That’s what I tried to warn them about.”

Boba nodded. “Most of the clones went on to serve the Empire after the war, but there were a few who removed their chips. I know of some who went on to live their own lives apart from the Empire. There were some who even fought in the Rebellion.”

Pride and pain stirred in Kix’s heart. “At least we clones managed to do some good, eh?”

“I don’t know if I can say that for myself, but you and your brothers certainly did. I don’t doubt that.”

“Did you ever hear about a clone named Jesse?” Kix knew it was a long shot, but he had to ask.

“Can’t say that I have.”

Kix nodded and looked down at his hands.

“But, hey, who knows?” Boba tried to be optimistic. “Maybe he changed his name after the war, you know, to protect himself against the Empire.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Boba sighed. “I wish I had better news for you.”

“No, it’s okay,” Kix smiled wistfully. “I’ll have to be okay with not knowing. It’s just… I miss them, and sometimes… sometimes I wish I was dead alongside them. I should’ve died with them and dropped the whole investigation. It’s not like I changed anything anyway.”

“You wanted to save your brothers, and that was a cause worth the risks you took. Don’t doubt that,” Boba insisted. “Besides, you did change something. Your investigations brought you here. Now. That doesn’t have to be for nothing. You were robbed of living with your brothers, but maybe that means you should live _for_ them instead. Maybe it’s your responsibility to carry on their legacy and put a little more light in this galaxy.”

Kix stared into Boba’s identical brown eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards in the shadow of a smile. “You sure have changed since I last saw you.”

“I suppose I have.” Boba smirked. “Well, do you think you can do that? To live for your brothers?

Kix nodded. “I think so.”

“You’ll be alright. I know you will.” Boba held a hand out to Kix, and they clasped hands.

“Kix!” Quiggold’s voice sounded. “We’re leaving! Better get moving!”

“You could come with me if you’d like.” Kix stood up.

Boba shook his head and laughed. “I’ve had enough of pirates to last me a lifetime.”

Kix shifted his weight in frustration. He wished he had more time to talk. “Well… I don’t know what to say.”

“Hey,” Boba smiled. “Live to fight another day, Kix. Alright?”

Kix nodded, keeping his gaze on Boba even as he stepped back to walk away. He knew this would be his last time seeing another clone. “Live to fight another day… brother.” He rushed out the door after his crew.

Sidon Ithano stood a few paces outside with crossed arms. The rest of the crew waited patiently behind him. They were never really going to leave without their new member.

Kix nodded wordlessly at the masked captain, who returned the nod understandingly. Together, they made their way back to their vessel.

Kix fell back a few paces, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a mirror and looked at his reflection. His hair was long, a dark beard covered his chin, and his nose was permanently crooked from his encounter with the commando droids. Kix sighed and passed a hand over the scar that stuck out from his hairline. He was different than how most of his brothers looked, but it didn’t matter. He could still see them all in his own face, just as he always had. Fives, Echo, Tup, Hardcase, Dogma, Rex, Jesse: they were all a part of him. They would always be a part of him, and he was okay with that.

Kix pocketed the mirror again and picked up his pace, catching up to the rest of the crew.

“Hey,” he said to no one in particular, “What would you think if I shaved my hair? I could start sporting my tattoo again.” He pointed to the few letters that could be seen on his left temple.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not curious to know what it says,” Quiggold answered eagerly.

Kix laughed. “Well, let’s just say it’s not gonna make some clankers happy.”

“What are clankers?” Reveth, the red Twi’lek asked, her nose scrunched in disdain for the word.

“Eh…” Kix shrugged. He still had a lot to get used to in this new time. “You’ll find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes Kix's Investigation. Thank you all for reading! I never thought I'd be committed enough to finish a fanfic, let alone one nearly 15k words!  
> I really wanted this fic to be as canon compliant as possible, but seeing as I took a big risk with assuming Boba could survive this long, let alone survive the sarlacc, this last chapter will probably end up breaking the canon. I just couldn't help myself.  
> Despite that, I'm super happy with how this ended! I like to think it ends the way a true Star Wars story should: with a bit of hope. :')  
> Also, if you didn't know, Kix actually does canonically get frozen in stasis for 50 years! This is from the short story, The Crimson Corsair. I'd recommend reading it if you want to understand more about the pirate crew Kix is with and how he got unfrozen. Personally I think the book is written really poorly, but maybe that's just me. XD It's not a big investment though. You can read it in one sitting.  
> And finally, please check out my Instagram [@the_awkward_artist_13.](https://www.instagram.com/the_awkward_artist_13/) I made art for each chapter of this fic and I'll be sharing some more fun facts about my writing and ideas about Kix there.  
> Thank you for your time! I hope I'll write more soon. No promises, but I _might_ try to tackle writing that unfinished Boba Fett and Cad Bane arc next.


End file.
